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The Body's Largest Weight-Bearing Joint
The hip joint is one of the body’s largest weight-bearing joints. It is a ball-and-socket joint. This helps the hip remain stable even during twisting and extreme ranges of motion. A healthy hip joint allows you to walk, squat, and turn without pain. But when a hip joint is damaged, it is likely to hurt when you move. In a problem hip, the worn cartilage no longer serves as a cushion. As the roughened bones rub together, they become irregular, with a surface like sandpaper. The ball grinds in the socket when you move your leg, causing pain and stiffness.
A hip implant replaces the cartilage that has worn away over the years. An artificial ball replaces the head of the thighbone, and an artificial cup replaces the worn socket. A stem is inserted into the thigh bone to keep the ball in place. These parts connect to create your new artificial hip. A plastic liner is placed between the metal ball and cup to create a smooth surface for comfortable movement once you have healed.
Anterior Hip Replacement
The direct anterior approach is a minimally invasive option that results in a smaller incision, less tissue
trauma, and less pain for the patient. This approach utilizes a unique hip and knee arthroplasty surgical table, called the HANA table, which allows a surgeon to reach the hip joint from the front of the hip, as opposed to the side or back, so that work can be done through the natural interval between the muscles.
After experiencing pain in her left hip for two years, Berrien Springs resident Beth Siebenmark realized it was time to take action. Fortunately, new technology at Lakeland Medical Center, St. Joseph, would make it possible for Dr. Edwards to perform Beth’s hip replacement using the direct anterior approach, a minimally invasive option that results in a smaller incision, less tissue trauma, and less pain for the patient. Read more...